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sunset

n. · v.
US //ˈsənˌsɛt// UK //sˈʌnsɛt// sun·set
  1. 1 time of day (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    the time in the evening when the sun goes below the horizon and it starts to get dark.

    the daily disappearance of the sun below the western horizon; a relational boundary between afternoon and evening.

    Example

    We sat on the beach and watched the sunset together.

    Example

    The hikers aimed to reach the summit before sunset to avoid navigating the treacherous descent in total darkness.
  2. 2 the end of something (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Literary

    the final period of a person's life or the last stages of a project.

    the final phase or period of existence of a person, era, or entity.

    Example

    The old king spent the sunset of his life in a quiet castle by the sea.

    Example

    The company's founders enjoyed the sunset of their careers knowing their legacy was secure in the hands of the new board.

    Teacher's tip

    Often used in the phrase 'sunset years' to refer to the period of retirement or old age.
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  1. 3 a fixed end date (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Technical Law

    a date when a law or a contract will automatically end.

    a provision in a law or regulation that causes it to expire automatically on a specific date unless further action is taken.

    Example

    The new tax law includes a sunset clause that ends the tax in three years.

    Example

    Legislators debated whether to include a sunset provision in the emergency bill to ensure the expanded powers would not become permanent.

    Usage

    Often used as an attributive noun, as in 'sunset clause' or 'sunset provision'.

    Teacher's tip

    Common in business and political contexts when discussing temporary taxes or emergency powers.
  2. 4 to phase out (v.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Technical Business

    to gradually stop using or supporting something.

    to terminate or phase out a programme, policy, or product line, often according to a schedule.

    Example

    The company decided to sunset the old software by the end of the year.

    Example

    The department head announced plans to sunset the legacy database system once the migration to the cloud was complete.

    Usage

    Transitive verb; usually takes a project, software, or policy as its object.
Origin

From Middle English son-sett, Sonne set, equivalent to sun + set. In Gower's Confessio Amantis, before 1393.

Idioms1 entry

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